To stay on path, I still have to keep the Autopilot engaged on my B777 prior to landing in the FS2004. I have been doing this for a while, I believe it is time to do that as it is in reality. Any exercise or common practice amongst the professional ones here. Thank you.

Even in reality, you will find the autopilot is used is used for landings, pilots are even required to do a certain number of full autolands a month. Nothing to be ashamed of there.

As for hand flying it, as with many things, practice makes perfect. Take some time just to fly and get used handling the aircraft. I'd also recommend trying something smaller at first. (Nothing like throwing yourself in at the deep end with a 777! &nbsp

Do you have a joystick? Because this will make the whole thing a lot easier!

When on finals aim your plane (whichever model) to "crash" right on the numbers - as you get closer level out the aircraft and change your focus to the far end of the runway - keeping the horizon level with the end of the runway.

You can also use the lights located on the left side of the runway to help with your descent rate into the airport. All white - you're too high (idle engines), white/red and your on glidepath, all red - you're too low (add power).

I'm still practicing myself and the 737 seems to be the easiest landing so far.

Hi, I've always done manual landing on FS. The advice I can give you is keep practicing until you can master it then do it again and again. I also recommend starting off with something smaller than a 777. Try these aircraft they are perfect for learning to land manually: a320 series 737's and if you can 757's.

By the way I have a question for the FS professionals out there. Is it possible to do an autoland in fs. If it is how do you do it ?

Quoting ITA350 (Reply 5):By the way I have a question for the FS professionals out there. Is it possible to do an autoland in fs. If it is how do you do it ?

Yep, there sure is!

When on your approach, and you know what runway you will be landing on, bring up the map, and click on your destination. From that get your runways localizer frequency. (It will be near the bottom of the list)

When you have this, put it into your NAV1 radio, and activate it. It should now bleep to signal that it has intercepted the localizer. With your autopilot engaged, arm the "APP" (approach) switch. The aircraft should now land itself. Although if it works properly, it will control the altitude, I would recommend controlling the altitude manually, as autopilot landings tend to be very hard.

Quoting Gofly (Reply 1):Even in reality, you will find the autopilot is used is used for landings, pilots are even required to do a certain number of full autolands a month. Nothing to be ashamed of there.

However, the default FS autopilot is an approach-only system, which means it will fly you right into the runway instead of flaring for a smooth landing. It can be used to fly the ILS, but not to land.

Here are some general tips:

-When landing, adjust your airspeed with your pitch (nose up or nose down), and adjust your altitude or rate of descent with the throttle. Going down too fast? The instinctive thing is to pitch up, but this only makes you slow down, which leads to more lift lost, and you'll end up going down faster than you originally were. Instead, keep the same pitch attitude, and add some power. Your speed will try to increase. Pitch the nose up to maintain it, and you'll find your rate of descent will decrease. Do this all the way to the runway. Once you're about 50 feet over the runway (for jets, smaller planes should do it at about 20 feet), bring the throttle to idle and maintain the same pitch attitude. Your speed will bleed off, and the wing will settle into ground effect for a smooth touchdown. Of course, describing it is much easier than doing it. You'll want to practice a few times so that you can see how much you need to pull back (too little and your nose wheel will touch down first, too much and you'll have a tailstrike). Which leads to the second point:

-When you practice, do it in a piston engine plane (the Beech Baron is a good choice). The reason for this is that jets have a lag between the time you make changes to the power setting and that time that the new power setting is reached due to the turbines spooling up and spooling down. Pistons are pretty much instantaneous. Once you have the concept down, you can move up to bigger planes.

-Don't fly approaches too fast. In the 777, you should be at about 150kts on final, or if you are really heavy, as much as 170kts. Keep the airplane on the glideslope with very small adjustments to the throttle - add power if you're low, reduce it if you're high. Don't change your pitch.

-Make sure that you are fully configured by the time you are 5 miles out at the latest. Flaps out, gear down, etc.

It isn't difficult in itself, but it does take a fair amount of practice to get right. Best of luck!

Quoting Mir (Reply 7):However, the default FS autopilot is an approach-only system, which means it will fly you right into the runway instead of flaring for a smooth landing. It can be used to fly the ILS, but not to land.

Ah, that would explain when I tried to autoland it, it just fell onto the runway!

Quoting Gofly (Reply 8):Ah, that would explain when I tried to autoland it, it just fell onto the runway!

LOL! Ouch!

I find if i'm flying in bad weather I use the ILS approach function until I have the runway in sight. I then switch off autopilot (including auto throttles), and hopefully by this time the autopilot has the aircraft on a smooth and level descent down the glideslope. So all I have to do is flare and make any corrections for crosswinds, etc....

I would not call myself a pro but more of an intermediate at manual landings as I find them to easy now but my way to learn was,
you get a little 172 and go to a little airport ( I used luton airport as its small and easy)
you line up on either side of the runway it doesn't matter which one, full power and take off when you reach the middle marker you turn 180' and head until your 6 miles roughly past the green glide slope line and do a 180' turn again and fly through the green gps line and head for the runway
aim at the runway numbers and when reaching close go to engine idle full flaps and then give yourself a nice 7' flare and your down you stop turn the plane around and take off again and do it slowly progressing up to the 747 ( which in my opinion is easier to land than a 172 )

You cant have your cake and eat it... What the hells the point in having it then!!!

Just practice pratice and practice. My first landings where in the 737-400 on a 4,00ft runway in FS02 when I was 10 years old. Now that was good practice.

Line up with the runway save the flight and than fly the approach, land and reload the flight where you saved it.
In real life the a pilot most of the time will turn the autopilot off once he has a good visual of the runway and maybe around 2,000.
Also do some turns and stuff in cruise get a feel to the airplane.

"It was just four of us on the flight deck, trying to do our job" (Captain Al Haynes)

Yesterday I tried the AUTOLAND feature in the David Maltby's Trident, and it worked wonderfully, in approach and then flaring for a perfect landing.

Then even tried it with a 36kts crosswind (auch!!) and landed on one side of the rwy. but still on it, correcting with the rudder on the flare, to put it straight on the rwy. (I'm Cat III certified!! )

The app. mode is not the same as Autoland. it follows the ILS signal until short finals, when you have to disconnect Auto-pilot and Auto-throttle, and flare it manually.

The 737 and the 320 are perfect for practising. What I suggest if you are in the 777 is fly a route and positionj yourself prior to your final turn for landing. Then save it and use that to practise your landing technique. Save a few differnt approaches at different airports for different conditions and scenery, elevation etc...

Do NOT use the FS learjet to practise landing, too responsive and easy to handle in my opinion.